Twelfth Wonder
by dashinginconverse
Summary: Introverted journalist Maggie Harrison lands a new gig - interviewing a selection of WWE Superstars for a series of twelve articles in ESPN magazine. She soon finds that things won't be so easy when she is faced with one, Dolph Ziggler. DolphOC
1. Not a Bed of Roses

_**Disclaimer: **__Don't own anything except my OC(s). _

_**Summary: Introverted journalist Maggie Harrison lands a new gig - interviewing a selection of WWE Superstars for a series of twelve articles in ESPN magazine. She soon finds that things won't be so easy when she is faced with one, Dolph Ziggler. DolphOC**_

_Okay! Here's my first attempt at an actual OC chapter fic. I know I'm posting kinda like crazy now, but I just can't help it. When inspiration hits, it hits. I am kind of hesitant about posting this, though, but I hope it will be well-received. I know the plot isn't very original, but I'm going to try to throw a few twists and turns into it. This is also kind of weird because it's my first OC fic in which the character actually has a name, lol. Anyway, I hope that y'all enjoy! I'd love to hear what y'all think! _

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><p><strong>Twelfth Wonder<br>Chapter One: Not a Bed of Roses**

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><p>The paper in her hands was wrinkled, the result of being smoothed and folded back up repeatedly and shoved into the pocket of her jeans. Maggie Harrison stared at it almost helplessly, like a woman on the verge of jumping off a cliff. Her eyes skimmed the words, running over the slightly faded text of the email she had printed out just days ago.<p>

_To: Maggie Harrison  
>From: Jared Johnson<br>Subject: ESPN Magazine Assignment_

_Hey, Maggie, it's me. Your boss. I can never get tired of saying that. Well, at least you know that I have someone over me that is making me give you this assignment, so you don't totally have to kill me next time you're in the city. Anyway, here's your assignment._

_The big bad editor of ESPN magazine - you know, both of our bosses - has given you a monster of an assignment. Something that is really cool, seeing as you're so green you make Kermit the Frog envious._

_Anyway, he told me after CM Punk's infamous promo last June, the need for the WWE-centered stories has risen, despite some of the higher-ups concerns. You know Jim Rome thought it was an actual fatwa? But yeah, okay, back to the deal. You are to interview the following WWE Superstars as a kind of…introduction to the wrestling-challenged out there. To boost the product. Not to mention that Mr. McMahon has given our boss a hearty sum to make sure that he gets exposure. Each Superstar will be included in an issue of the magazine. Twelve in all, one wrestler for each month this year._

_I know you watched the WWE - or WWF as it was called back then - way back when you were little, so you'll at least know the basics. Maybe that won't be as hard for you as it would be for me. _

_You're to ride on the tour bus with them. Boss wants you to get the real experience. Thinks it'll make your work grittier. Or something. I personally think he's lost his mind. They've made a spot for you, so no worries. Just try not to mess up too bad or you'll for real get fired. Please treat this carefully, which I know you certainly will. You've never let us down in that respect, sweetheart. The list is below:_

_Beth Phoenix  
>CM Punk<br>Cody Rhodes  
>Daniel Bryan<br>Dolph Ziggler  
>Eve Torres<br>John Cena  
>Mark Henry<br>The Miz  
>Randy Orton<br>Sheamus  
>Zack Ryder<em>

_Good luck, Maggie!_

_- J.J._

She felt a migraine coming on, which was odd since she rarely got headaches, let alone those of the intense kind. The pressure building against the sides of her head was enough that she pinched the bridge of her nose with her fingers.

After getting off the plane, she found herself slightly lost as she drove to the hotel where she would be staying - along with the other Superstars. They were in Chicago first, which was a great atmosphere for a show, she knew. She remembered watching Punk and Cena battle it out at Money In The Bank, wishing that she was there…

Maggie shook her head, only further aggravating the massive headache. She knew that she was to meet up, get on a bus after the show, and interview as they went, as well as write a small intro piece describing the atmosphere of a certain match she'd witnessed a particular Superstar in. Each interview was meant to span the length of a page - a _page-length spread_, something unheard of in her limited time with the magazine. She just hoped that she'd gotten some very talkative talent to work with.

What Jared hadn't realized when he sent her the email was that Maggie had been keeping up with the WWE longer than he thought.

She knew Punk would have plenty to say, he was always very eloquent in his interviews, well-spoken and thoughtful. Never disrespectful to the interviewer. Unless they asked for it. And Maggie had no plans on asking to be verbally dismantled by the Straight Edge Superstar.

She was aware that maybe the heels in particular - Cody Rhodes, Dolph Ziggler, and Mark Henry - might be harder to get straight answers out of. Especially the latter. However, both Cody and Dolph didn't seem to mind giving lengthy interviews. She'd also seen some late night talk shows where Miz was the guest. He certainly would give her a page or two. Or three.

Randy Orton seemed to be a cool person - if one didn't include his current gimmick in the equation - so she was looking forward to that interview. She was also looking forward to meeting Zack Ryder, one particular wrestler that had her giggling like a schoolgirl when his entrance music was played.

Beth Phoenix and Eve Torres were the only Divas on the list. _Well, _she thought, _at least they decided to include the Divas._

Sheamus seemed to be an easy-going guy and was another one she was looking forward to interviewing. She knew Daniel Bryan liked books…so maybe they could find common ground about that. Though she wasn't sure if that was what ESPN magazine was looking for…D-Bry's opinion on the works of some random writer guy, as interesting as that would be for Maggie herself to read…

And that left John Cena. The biggest star in the WWE. The most polarizing figure in the business, and also the most cordial, she thought. He was on par with Sheamus because of his personable nature.

Maggie let out a sigh as she waited in line to be checked in. She wanted desperately to have help, but unfortunately she was on her own on this endeavor. Her two travel bags felt unnaturally heavy. She'd packed as much clothing and necessary items into the two bags as she could, not to mention the messenger bag that held all the things needed for the job at hand.

The line was going rather slowly, and Maggie was getting impatient. She shifted her weight onto her left leg and yawned.

What actually caused a line to be this long anyway? Well, she supposed, this was a rather prestigious hotel. If she was correct, that was a senator up there at the front with his wife and child. Hm, ESPN writer and senator? One of these things just doesn't belong here…

She adjusted one of her bags on her shoulder and shifted her weight to her left leg. The line moved slowly but surely, and she was more than ready to get into her hotel room and just go to sleep. The place was really nice, and at least it wasn't some seedy little hotel where the times that the maids changed the sheets were about as often as pigs flying.

"Maggie Harrison." She provided her ID card to the person at the desk. "I'm here for - "

The woman nodded tiredly, "Yes, ESPN called and made sure you had a room. You'll be on the floor with the WWE Superstars. Here's your key card. Please enjoy your stay."

Maggie ventured a smile and took the key card. Well, that woman wasn't the most polite person in the world, but it was okay. At least she had a good room. That was all she could ask for.

Maggie walked to the elevator and piled in with an amount of people that should break the weight limit. She was squeezed into a corner, her luggage pressed against her side, messenger bag clutched tightly in her hands.

It was only then that she noticed him, which was strange, considering how tall he was. His dark hair was messily styled, an odd contrast to the clean appearance he had whilst in the ring.

Wade Barrett.

Now she realized that the one thing she was feeling when she got the assignment. She hadn't realized the disappointment she felt, but now it had a place. She had wanted to interview the bare-knuckle brawler more than anything, but his name hadn't been on the list. And here he was, on the exact same elevator as her.

Opportunity? Yes.

Being able to execute? …not really.

Maggie inhaled deeply and stepped forward just as the elevator doors swung open. She fiddled with the strap of her messenger bag nervously, searching for the words to open up conversation. This was probably the hardest part of her job - the talking part. And this wasn't even part of her job. This was just going up to someone and telling them how much of a fan you were of them. Which should be a big no-no in the business, but Maggie found herself unable to resist the urge.

They were the only two that got out on the same floor, spilling from the crowded elevator - Wade, with no problem at all, but Maggie had to shove and maneuver her way though the bodies around her.

She was just behind him a few steps when she finally called out his name, "Erm…Mr. Barrett!"

He stopped at her slight voice before turning around. There was a guarded look about him, as if no one had ever called him that before, and he expected something bad. "Yes."

She was suddenly at a loss for words, with him staring at her like that. He was so tall and imposing and _British _that it was all very intimidating. She couldn't even remember the clever opening line she had come up with. Several moments passed, all the while Wade looked like he was running late for something, actually checking his watch at one point.

So, she did what came natural - she blurted something awkward.

"Do you watch _Doctor Who_?"

There was a chilling moment of silence in which she thought he was going to beat the living tar out of her, but his mouth twisted into a wry, amused smirk, "And you assume that because I'm from England?"

Maggie blinked several times in succession, unable to think straight when addressed like that, "Uh…ah…well…you see…I just thought, well, that I watch it, and you might, well…okay, because you're from England."

"Isn't that some kind of _profiling_?"

"…maybe, sir."

Wade outright laughed at that, "Who are you?"

"Maggie…Maggie Harrison. I'm the, ah, journalist from ESPN."

"Right," he said, his head cocked to the side as if in interest. "Yes, we've all been briefed on you."

She felt her cheeks turn red as he studied her. She wasn't sure what it was about him, but suddenly she felt completely aware that she had bed head from sleeping on the plane and was currently forgoing her contact lenses in favor of her dark-rimmed glasses.

"And, I must say, if you insist on bursting out about _Doctor Who_ or whatever random show has your fancy at the moment at various Superstars, you're in for a rather bumpy ride." Wade rolled his shoulders before turning away and heading to his room. "Looking forward to your articles, _Maggie_."

Despite the fact that the way he said her name made chills go down her spine, and despite the fact that Wade Barrett wasn't even on her list of interviewees, Maggie knew that the gauntlet had just been thrown down.

The problem was, she now wanted to run far, far away from said gauntlet.

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><p><em><strong>End Chapter One.<strong>_


	2. Look Around

_**Disclaimer: **__I don't own anything except my OC(s)._

_Thanks to __**matt-hardy-lover-101**__, __**Ferchito.O**__, __**Showni13**__, __**DeathDaisy**__, and __**WandaXmaximoff**__ for your kind reviews! I really appreciate them and I hope that everyone likes this update! Thanks so much for reading!_

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><p><strong>Twelfth Wonder<br>Chapter Two: Look Around**

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><p>The sun entered through Maggie's hotel window like a particularly rude intruder.<p>

She rolled over on her side, as if to escape the morning sun that felt like it was boring into her head. Her eyes managed to catch the bold, red numbers on the digital clock on her nightstand. She squinted for a moment, unable to make out the letters, and then relented to put her glasses on.

_Six forty-five, _she thought dejectedly.

Maggie sat up slowly, feeling the tiredness still in her bones, and looked out at the hotel room provided for her. She was lucky enough to get a room to herself, at least for now. She knew she'd have to share a bus with a few of the Divas while doing this year-long project, but she'd just have to get used to that. Time to herself was limited now, and that feeling had left her feeling somewhat crippled.

She rolled out of bed and got a shower, trying to rinse off the humiliation from last night along with the grime left over from the plane ride. Maggie tried not to hear Wade's comments replayed over and over in her head, but it was almost impossible to ignore.

After putting in her contacts, brushing her teeth, and drying her hair, she got dressed and turned on the television. She started to get dressed just as an episode of the Today show came on. Wishing that there was something more interesting on, she groaned as she slipped her shirt over her head and pulled on her jeans.

By the time she was dressed and sitting on the edge of her bed, it was an hour later. She sighed and watched as some random interviewer talked to some random celebrity. Maggie ran a hand through her slightly wavy brown hair and then threw herself onto her back, desperately wanting to go back to sleep.

What was there to do, anyway?

She could start writing one of the small intro pieces for one of the Superstars she was supposed to interview, but her stomach was being particularly rebellious, issuing a growl every minute or so.

_To the buffet it is, then, _she thought, remembering that the hotel served a buffet for breakfast, though room service was also available. Maggie, personally, wanted to get out and walk around. Being cooped up for too long didn't sit well with her.

She grabbed her messenger bag, stuffed a notebook and some pens into it as well as her wallet and room key, and then made her way out the door, pausing only to turn off the television and the light.

As she walked down the hall, she half-hoped and half-dreaded to meet anyone that she would potentially have to interview. If the whole thing ended up like what had happened with Wade Barrett last night, then she was in for a bumpy ride, indeed.

She specifically didn't want to run into Wade. She knew that much for certain. The whole _Doctor Who _comment was fresh in her mind, and the very thought of it caused her to blush furiously. Not to mention the way he had looked at her, like she was something obscenely amusing.

Maggie shook her head and gripped tightly onto the strap of her bag. She finally found the elevator and pressed the button for the lobby.

Just as she was about to step in, she heard, "Hold the door, please!"

She felt all her body tense. That voice sounded oddly familiar. Maggie turned around and saw that Eve Torres and Kelly Kelly were headed her way, looking as if they had just stepped off of a runway. The fact that it was almost eight o'clock made it particularly jarring. She ran a hand over her hair in self-consciousness.

The elevator door started to close and Maggie pushed her hand in front of the doors, stopping them completely. The two Divas finally made it to the elevator and gave her thankful glances.

"Thanks," Eve said, giving her a smile as the three of them stepped into the elevator.

Maggie nodded, "No problem."

The doors slid shut in front of them, leaving them in the silence of the elevator music. Maggie wondered if this would be a particularly awkward time to mention that she was supposed to be interviewing Eve later on for an article…but she didn't have to bring it up herself.

"You're Maggie, right?" Kelly asked, her eyes now focused on her.

Maggie was startled for a moment and she turned to Kelly before smiling genially and nodding. "That's me."

"Cool! You're supposed to interview Eve?" Kelly looked over to Eve, who smiled warmly at her.

"Uh, yeah," Maggie admitted. "Sorry. I was just thinking about how to bring that up."

Eve gave her a toothy grin at that, "Oh, that's no problem. We aren't going to bite your head off. For the other Superstars, though, I don't know if that's applicable."

Maggie laughed nervously and continued walking.

Eventually they arrived in the room with the buffet. In response to the food, Maggie's stomach started to growl. Kelly and Eve looked at her before laughing a bit and moving along the line. Surprisingly, they piled on the food - eggs and bacon and grits. Maggie felt a little embarrassed since she assumed they didn't eat like normal human beings, figured that they were constantly on a diet.

She learned something new every day, she supposed.

"You can sit with us, if you want," Kelly invited. Well, she was certainly different than she had expected. Maggie nodded and smiled as she finished piling up food on her plate. She followed them to the table they had picked and sat down, somewhat awkwardly, as Kelly and Eve took the seats in front of her.

"Thanks," Maggie offered, smiling lightly as she bit into a piece of cantaloupe.

Eve smiled back, "No problem - "

"Kel!"

Kelly's face sparked with recognition as she turned to glance at the person who called her name. Maggie turned as well, unable to help herself. The voice sounded familiar, and yet odd at the same time. She was still getting used to hearing everyone talk without the barrier that was the television.

Alex Riley was walking forward, an attractive grin on his face, flanked by the Miz and Rose Mendes.

Anxiety swept over Maggie in an awful wave of nausea. She had to interview Miz. How was she supposed to bring it up? Her mind was in a whirl.

_Should I just be like, "Yo, Miz, sup? I'm supposed to interview you?" Or… "Miz! You're aaaaawesooome, come answer a few questions for me!" _Maggie thought, running through each of her silly, exaggerated options. Anyone of which would probably get her a _"Really?" _in response. That, or a punch to the face.

"Um…Maggie?"

Maggie jolted out of her reverie, "Erm…yes?"

Eve looked at her like she was watching one of those sad, abused puppy infomercials, complete with Sarah McLachlan soundtrack, "You're killing your fruit."

Blinking, Maggie looked down and saw that her fruit was, indeed, mutilated, skewered and pulled to pieces. She blushed to the roots of her hair and quickly hid her hands beneath the table, opting to wring them instead of commit fruit murder.

The people at the table laughed at her, and she then noticed that Miz had taken a seat right beside her. Alex had sat right beside Kelly, draping an arm over her tiny shoulders, and had a large grin on his face. Eve was looking at Miz with a brow raised, and Rosa had taken up the space on her other side.

"I was just telling Miz," Eve started, "that you were here to interview a few of us. He was on the list, wasn't he?"

Maggie chanced a glance over at Miz, who was staring at her with an amused expression. "Ah, yes…he was…"

A grin overtook Miz's face, "Well, then, let's get started."

"Wh-What?" Maggie was at a loss for words, "But I…um…" She scratched the back of her head. "I have no idea what to ask."

Miz was about to say something in response - something sarcastic, no doubt - when he was interrupted by Rosa saying something friendly-sounding in Spanish, and a chuckled response. Five pairs of eyes turned in the direction of the disruption and saw Wade Barrett lowering himself onto the bench right beside Rosa.

As if conditioned to respond as such, Maggie's cheeks took on an almost comically red color.

"Oi, how are you, girly?" Wade said, reaching over Rosa's head to smash his hand on top of Maggie's, ruffling her hair. The familiarity caused her to tense, unsure of and unused to such contact.

"F-Fine…" she said, remembering their conversation from last night. He seemed almost eager to pick on her for her lapse.

He didn't seem to pay much attention after that, for his time was spent talking to Rosa. _Shocker, _Maggie thought idly, as she started to rip apart her napkin.

Miz laughed, "Are you trying to make as much of a mess as humanly possible?"

Maggie was about to mumble in response when she heard a loud, grating noise. A voice? Yes, she recognized that voice from television. Turning around, she got her first glimpse of Vickie Guerrero, laughing and being good-natured with Jack Swagger. She smiled and pushed on his shoulder as he grinned back.

Rosa rolled her eyes and cursed something unintelligible before turning back to talk to Wade.

But Maggie was slightly interested. She had no idea that Jack spent time with Vickie outside the ring, but she supposed it made sense. She watched as Vickie sighed and crossed her arms, and just moments later the doors swung open.

"Slept late again, didn't you?" she accused.

The figure stepped through the doors, letting them swing closed behind him. He ran a hand over his hair and gave a boyish smirk that caused her heart to give an involuntary little leap - something that unnerved her to no end, for it made no sense in context.

Looking unfairly attractive, Dolph Ziggler walked to his manager and partner, exuding confidence as if it were nothing.

Yet again, Maggie started to tear her napkin to shreds.

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><p><em><strong>End Chapter Two.<strong>_


	3. The Zig Zag Man

_**Disclaimer: **__Nothing's mine, of course. _

_Thanks so much to **Showni13**, **matt-hardy-lover-101**, **katierobin23**, and **DeathDaisy** for their kind reviews! I am so glad that everyone is enjoying this story and I hope that everyone likes this chapter! I'm sorry it's taken so long to update! Haha. Anyway, please enjoy and thanks for reading!_

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><p><strong>Twelfth Wonder<br>****Chapter Three: The Zig Zag Man**

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><p>Over the chatter of the Superstars around her, Maggie felt her face flush.<p>

She wasn't sure exactly why she was flushing, but she knew the telltale feel of heat on her cheeks, felt the sudden thud of her pulse as Miz's arm brushed against hers, heard Dolph Ziggler's charming laugh just feet away from her. The compact surroundings of the table were enough to make her want to run far, far away and never look back. The whole space made her feel confined, like a wild dog trapped in a barb wire cage unable to escape.

She tried to calm herself, to immerse herself into the conversation of the happy individuals around her. Little by little, she found that her sudden alertness to the presence of the bright blonde show off was diminished, and she was able to concentrate on the idle chatter of the wrestlers around her.

"I dunno. I totally think that Thor could kick Hulk's ass, no problem."

"Thor."

Silence.

Maggie looked up, feeling their eyes on her. She looked from Miz's curious, clear blue eyes to Rosa's darker ones, found Alex staring at her with a smooth half-smile. She blinked a few times. "Something…ah…wrong?"

"Thor?" Wade questioned.

One day she was sure to spontaneously combust with the amount of blushing she was doing. "I said that out loud, didn't I?"

Miz nodded, something akin to amusement on his face. "Pretty much."

"Oh."

Laughter sounded around her. She found herself smiling lightly, chuckling along with them. Maybe this whole trip wouldn't be as awkward as she originally thought. Maybe she could get through interviewing all of these amazing, talented people without much strife. Maybe Wade won't tease her the whole time about her momentary lapse concerning a show about a mad man with a blue box…

"I suppose she has a tendency to blurt things out, right?" the person in question said cheekily, looking at her out of the corner of his eye as he picked at his plate of scrambled eggs.

Okay, maybe that was asking for a bit much.

Maggie laughed nervously and went back to eating - or at least _trying _to eat. Her nerves were kicking in full force now, and she wondered what she was supposed to do. She had two of her interviewees at the same table with her, and yet she couldn't even broach the subject, couldn't even find it in her to ask what time they would be available for questioning. _Ew, _she thought suddenly, _putting it like that makes it sound like they've committed a murder._

Not wanting to continue along that line of thought, she rose from her seat. "Um…I'm going to go get some orange juice. Anyone…uh…want anything?"

The people around the table looked at her and each shook their heads. Not noticing that they mostly had full cups of juice, milk, or coffee, Maggie sighed at her mistake. She had completely forgotten to get a drink of her own, wondering when that lapse had occurred.

She saw Wade rise from his seat. "No one," he began, "that prefers Thor to the Hulk is going to prepare my coffee for me."

Maggie paused as she watched Wade walk ahead of her, not even stopping so they could walk together. She didn't realize she was standing stock-still until Rosa gave her a nudge - literally - in the direction of the drink area. She quirked a perfectly sculpted eyebrow and laughed at Maggie's clueless expression before the latter finally got the gumption to move.

A few Superstars, staff, cameramen, and the like were still sporadically coming through the door to get breakfast, no doubt. Some were fully dressed in jeans and expensive-looking shirts, others wore workout clothes, and yet others decided to wear their pajamas. She walked up to the space where the drinks were, seeing a jug of orange juice sitting right beside others - apple and cranberry - and then the coffee pot, creamers, and sugar just next to that.

Wade was getting his coffee, studiously ignoring her, and she moved to get a Styrofoam cup. She chanced a glance at him before moving to get the orange juice. Expecting it to be heavy, she used more force than necessary when lifting it, only to let out a small gasp when it flew up off the table, still clenched in her unsure grasp. The jug's lightness indicated that it was, indeed, empty.

Snickering met her ears.

Maggie looked up and over to see that Wade was staring at her with haughty amusement on his face. She opened her mouth to protest, unsure of what she was going to say exactly, when a new voice met her ears.

"You _can't _be a new Diva."

Startled to the point of looking extremely comical, Maggie whirled around, still clenching the empty jug in her fist, and stared at the man who had addressed her.

Dolph Ziggler stared back.

Pursing her lips, Maggie fought the sense to start laughing hysterically. Of course the guy that grabbed her attention would be making fun of her now. It was all so…cliché. She wrinkled her nose and set the jug back down on the table before moving to reach for the coffee pot.

Wade politely moved out of the way - surprising, all things considered - and then left her.

Alone.

With the blonde haired wonder.

Maggie sighed.

She shouldn't have expected anything else. She certainly didn't expect Wade Barrett of all people to be her wingman. If that was even the right term for the situation. Maggie gaped for a moment before returning to pour her coffee.

_Go away, go away. This is really awkward. Go away… _

But he didn't budge. She could feel him next to her, just staring at her as if she was something in a zoo.

"That much sugar can't be good."

Maggie then looked at the coffee cup, in which she was pouring more sugar than was necessary. She sighed and wrinkled her nose. "I can't drink coffee at all unless I…ah…do this."

Dolph snickered.

At that, Maggie looked up, her face a mask of embarrassment. "Uh…what?"

"True badasses drink their coffee black," he continued, as casually as if he'd known her all his life.

"You're criticizing my coffee habits?" she asked, quirking a brow.

Dolph contemplated that for a moment, rocking back on his heels with his hands shoved deep into the pockets of his hoodie. "Yeah, I suppose I am."

"Well…" she started, searching for something to say. Dolph felt like he was easy to talk to, but her socially awkward nature was not so easily counteracted, no matter the person. She wished she could be one of those girls, the ones with a quip at the ready - instead she stumbled over her words - _verbal pauses_, her speech teacher told her in college - and made awkward television references. She pursed her lips. "Well, just because you like your coffee black doesn't mean other people are equally insane."

This seemed to amuse him; he cocked his head to the side as a smile curved his lips.

Used to amusing people for the wrong reasons, Maggie gave him a light smile. That comment had come out of no where, and for some particular reason, she was glad that he acted humored by it.

She started to wring her hands.

Dolph cocked his head to the side, as if witnessing something that puzzled him.

"Who are you, anyway?" he asked.

"Uh, Maggie Harrison."

He let out a sharp laugh. "Well, then, _Uh Maggie Harrison_, why are you here?"

Maggie felt her cheeks flush. "I'm with ESPN magazine. I'm here to do interviews - "

A smile crossed his face, quirking his lips in the strangest way. _He must be what people are talking about when someone says a man is "devilishly handsome," _Maggie thought, looking at him.

"I'm on the list of interviewees, right?" he asked, interrupting her, though she was sure that smile had done the job even before his words.

"Um…yeah…you are," she said, uncertain of where he was going with this.

"Good." He nodded as if to himself and grasped his cup of coffee off of the counter.

She watched him as he took one of the coffee stirrers and placed it in his mug of coffee. Maggie was puzzled. "If you drink it black, why do you have to stir it?"

He looked caught off guard, and then she realized that she had, once again, blurted out a question without thinking. "Observant. I see why you're a journalist." He gave her a slight smile. "No particular reason. Makes me look cool, doesn't it?"

This caused Maggie to laugh, the light sound louder than she had intended. "Yeah, okay."

Dolph grinned at her. "Well, it was nice meeting you, Diane Sawyer."

She gaped like a fish at the comparison. He turned to walk away, and as the incredulity of what he had just called her wore off, Maggie felt something overcome her. An indignation. She had delayed in asking everyone about the interview, and she needed to get started now if the article was going to be in this month's issue. She steeled herself, stopped wringing her hands and forced them down at her sides in closed fists.

"Would you like the be interviewed for this month's issue?" she blurted out as cordially as she could muster.

Dolph turned around, his face a full-blown grin. The coffee stirrer was perched between his teeth, and he talked around it. "Nah, I don't think so."

She gaped again, a fish out of water. "But - but…you…I…it's…"

He started to laugh at her. "I'm not much of a January guy, you see. I think Miz is more suited for the job."

"But…that…makes no sense."

"Miz is _clearly _a January kind of guy." He motioned over at the table from which she came. Miz was talking animatedly, hands flailing about as if he were really into whatever conversation she had left in favor of gaining sweet caffeine.

Maggie wanted to say something, wanted to question him more about his bizarre statements. Wanted to throw something at him. Wanted to laugh in hysteria. The first time she actually had the nerve to bring up being interviewed, she had been shot down. Cold.

As if sensing her distress and feeding off it like a shark, Dolph said, "Ask again later, Mags."

She wasn't sure if it was his Magic 8 Ball answer or the fact that he had spontaneously given her a nickname that made her brain completely stop working, but nonetheless she watched him walk away, her coffee cup heating her hands.

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><p><em><strong>End Chapter Three.<strong>_


	4. Fleeting Inspiration

_**Disclaimer: **__I don't own anything (except my OCs of course)!_

_Aw, thanks so much to __**Showni13**__, __**matt-hardy-lover-101**__, __**Cdand941**__, __**Cupid-Jayne**__, and **O. Ferchito **__**.O**__. Means a lot that y'all took the time to review! Sorry this chapter took so long. It took a while for me to find out where I was going with it. I hope that everyone enjoys!_

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><p><strong>Twelfth Wonder<strong>  
><strong>Chapter Four: Fleeting Inspiration<strong>

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><p>Maggie returned to her hotel room an hour or so later, but not without having a parting shot directed at her by Wade. Her cheeks were still red, even as she shut the door to her room and flopped down on her bed.<p>

_"Need to get back and ponder the mysteries of time travel, huh?"_

Oh, she could just kill him.

When she had sat back at the table after her epic fail of a request to Dolph Ziggler for an interview, the Superstars immediately saw something was wrong. She had stirred her coffee until it was practically a whirlpool in her cup, thinking of the blonde show off every time she glanced at the coffee stirrer, and how it had looked clenched between his teeth in such a casual manner it was infuriating.

They hadn't left her alone until she told them what had happened. Miz, being a lot kinder than his in ring persona showed, had volunteered to be her first interviewee for her article. Maggie had been beside herself with thanks, spilling her coffee in the process, and that caused a whole other number of problems.

Maggie had an appointment tomorrow with Miz, seeing as his schedule was already busy enough, it was an accomplishment. Since the appointment was so soon, and she was certainly going to get a call from Jared soon regarding the timing of the article, she sat at the desk in her hotel room and tried to clear her mind. They had given her this article assignment rather late. The January issue would go out in a matter of a week or so, and she needed to get this done as soon as possible.

Sighing, she brought out her notebook and pen and began to write.

The introduction to the interview was one of the most important parts of the article itself. It had to be enough to garner attention from the reader, but not enough that it becomes lackadaisical and unattractive. It was one of Maggie's favorite parts of the writing process, but…

Her mind was blank.

The ability to write was there. The ideas, the tenses, the way she would describe The Awesome One himself. But her mind was completely muddled, as if not wanting to form the words, and she couldn't figure out why.

With a frustrated groan, she threw her pen down and looked over to the television, which she had carelessly left on during her breakfast excursion. It was on some kind of morning show, the kind that she had never watched but took up the majority of the day. They were talking about some kind of wine tasting, and the hostesses obviously had had too much. Maggie rolled her eyes before turning away from the television and laying her head down on the desk with a bit too much force.

"Ow," she murmured half-heartedly, allowing her eyes to slide closed.

Millions of thoughts swirled around inside her head, all of them strange and none of them sticking around long enough for her to analyze them. She breathed deeply through her nose and out through her mouth, trying to grasp what she could not and failing.

Her brain decided to hurl an image of Dolph straight at her, and instinctively she winced away from it and opened her eyes in a rush to get away.

"None of that," she told herself, blinking a few times and then grasping the discarded pen. "None of that."

So she set her pen to paper and began to write.

It was like this sometimes, having a major case of_ oh crap what do I write about _followed by a revelation of_ oh I can write this_. The whole thing was just a matter of learning to overcome the feeling of being overwhelmed, and sometimes Maggie felt she had yet to master it. Still, the pen scribbled across the paper without much pause, and for that she felt like she had accomplished something.

_When the term "awesome" was coined, many people might not have had one particular man in mind. However, this term has become synonymous with one individual - WWE Superstar Mike "the Miz" Mizanin, and as he walks to the ring with confidence set in his shoulders and a rather gaudy and amazing trench coat over his ring gear, I cannot find the words to argue against this claim…_

As soon as she got those first few words on the paper, the rest flowed out like water from a tap. Maggie felt the tightness in her shoulders decrease as she slouched, relaxed and yet enraptured in her work, as she busily scribbled words and notes and anything that comes to mind along the paper. It was just a rough draft, of course, but she can edit it up later and pick and choose what to keep and what to drop from the final product.

She hadn't realized she was biting her bottom lip until she almost sawed it off when a loud knock sounded through the hotel room. Maggie yelped in pain as her fingers shot up to press against the wounded area, coming back and revealing just a bit of blood. She closed her eyes and rose from her seated position, feeling satisfied as her eyes raked over the massive amount of doodling she had done on the exposed piece of notebook paper.

She marched over to the door and opened it.

Emptiness greeted her.

Maggie puffed her cheeks and then blew out the air. Millions of episodes of _CSI _came back to her, in which the unsuspecting girl was murdered in her room in a situation just like this. She shuddered, thinking of David Caruso leaning over her dead body and making a quip while sliding his shades on.

_Stupid, _she thought. Maggie leaned out the door and looked down either side of the hall. The left side was empty, but when she turned to look down the right side.

"Ah!" she shouted in surprise, her hand leaping to her throat. "Geez!"

"I scared you?" Miz asked. "Sorry, couldn't resist."

Maggie started to laugh nervously, a result of her adrenaline pumping through her veins for no reason at all, it seemed. Miz rolled his neck, earning a few pops for his efforts, and crossed his arms, though the welcoming smile never left his face.

"Ah…how did you find my room?" she asked, feeling her eyebrows knit together in her thought.

"It's amazing what a little research can do."

"Creeper," she accused lightly.

Miz let that comment roll off his shoulders. He gave her an impish grin and said, "Wanna come down to the arena and see a practice match before the show?"

"It's…ah…not even one o'clock yet."

"We go over stuff before game time. Nothing too major in case someone gets injured. Just basic moves and whatnot." He gave his shoulders a roll. "You up for it? Might be able to get some inspiration from it."

Maggie cocked her head to the side, thinking for a moment before looking over to her desk. She was very tempted to see how everything worked backstage, but she had to finish the rest of the introduction for the article. She turned and looked at the Miz and, after warring with herself, said, "Um...yeah. Why not!"

"Awesome!" Miz said. Maggie almost laughed at that. She retrieved her messenger bag and shoved the rough draft and her cell phone into it before turning and facing him yet again.

"Let's go, I guess," she ventured.

Miz laughed - at what, Maggie had no clue - and lead her out of the hotel room and into the hallway. It was deserted, and Maggie couldn't help but think of _The Shining. _She phased out for a moment, imagining R-Truth coming out of no where and saying, "Heeere's Little Jimmy!"

She fought back a snicker at her own childishness. The two of them continued walking in awkward silence, with Maggie not sure exactly how to break it, so she just fiddled with the strap of her bag and tried to keep her footsteps light and not as clunky as she was bound to sound.

Eventually, they arrived in the parking lot. Eve and Rosa were standing next to a car with grins on their faces.

"I see you got her to come," a very familiar, very British voice sounded from the passenger's seat.

Maggie felt the urge to be sick.

Miz climbed into the car, motioning for Maggie to take the backseat. She watched as both Eve and Rosa loaded themselves into the car, and Maggie gave a light sigh before doing the same. She was squished against the car door for the majority of the trip, but she tried to think of other things. Soon enough, though, the arena's bulking shape came into view, and she almost breathed a sigh of relief. Miz did some crazy turning and ended up taking a secret passageway to a parking lot beneath the stadium itself, but not before checking in with a few massive security guards.

It was almost like these employees of the WWE were presidential candidates...

After the car was parked, everyone filed out of the car, Maggie almost falling on her head as she did so. She felt very much like the odd man out as they walked to...well, wherever it was. Wade slung his arm over Rosa's shoulders, and Miz and Eve talked together with their heads very close. It was almost like looking in on some intimate moment that she wasn't supposed to be witnessing.

Eventually, after many twists and turns and passing tour buses - so _that's _where they parked them - they arrived at the ring. There were still people getting ready for the day, all up in the rafters and hooking up pyro, checking the entrance music to see if it worked properly. Maggie was entranced by it all, unable to do anything but gape.

"Here," Wade said, walking over to the ring before grabbing a steel chair out from under it. He unfolded the chair and presented it to the journalist. She eyed it, wondering idly just who was going to get smacked with _that _later tonight. She sat down on it, ringside, and placed her bag on her lap.

Wade and Miz then went to go change into more comfortable clothes, as did Eve. Rosa followed her, opening her cell phone, automatically saying, "Primo! Where are you?" and then breaking off into angry Spanish.

Of course, that left Maggie alone.

She fiddled with the strap of her bag, uncertain of what to do. She felt rather out of place here, sitting in a chair ringside with nothing better to do than watch. Maggie found it entertaining. The people that had occupied the ring when they got there were still practicing a few moves - nothing too risky, as to not be injured pre-show. From what she saw, Alex Riley and Ryback were going over a few things. It was surreal, being able to see them at work just feet from where they were.

_As long as one of them doesn't get tossed out of the ring at me, I'm golden..._ she thought, wincing.

"Hi, Maggie!" a voice chirped.

Maggie had been so immersed in watching the practice session that she hadn't even noticed Kelly's presence. She jumped, and then flushed. "Um...hey!"

Kelly laughed. Maggie noticed she was in her street clothes, and not even in the locker room with Eve to change. "What are you doing here?"

"Um...ah...well, Miz kind of invited me to watch a few practice matches to help with my article."

"Cool," Kelly commented, placing a manicured hand on her hip. She looked at the ring, her face glowing. "I'm so glad Alex has a match tonight, even if it _is _against Ryback."

"Yeah?" Maggie smiled. "He looks like he's holding up good - I mean, ah, not that I thought he wouldn't. I, ah, just know I would be scared." She chuckled nervously, seeing it best to stop talking then.

Kelly laughed at her. "I know what you mean. Heath was practically pissing himself last week when he had to go up against him."

Maggie joined in, just as Ryback slammed Alex on the mat, causing the whole thing to shake. Maggie winced despite herself.

The minutes passed by sluggishly. Luckily enough, Kelly was chatty and it alleviated the awkwardness of being alone. She clapped when Alex did something particularly impressive, and Maggie found herself clapping for his opponent - since, well, they were the only two here, and it was only fair.

After a while, the two of them ended their session and climbed out of the ring. Alex came over, covered in a thin sheen of sweat, and gave Kelly a hug. She didn't seem to mind, which was kind of funny to Maggie. She figured that she would squirm away when confronted with her sweaty...boyfriend? At least, that was what their relationship seemed like to her.

Ryback rolled his neck from side to side as he walked towards them, clapping Alex on the shoulder. He gave both Maggie and Kelly a friendly nod, but didn't say much other than a greeting, before heading back to the locker room, most likely to cool down before the actual show started. Alex pressed a kiss to Kelly's temple before doing the same.

"Hey, I'm about to go get a bottle of water from the vending machine," she said. "Do you want one?"

"Oh...ah...no, thank you. I'm fine."

"Alright! Be back in a bit!"

Kelly left Maggie by herself, staring at the empty ring. She decided to bring out her papers and look over them to check for any kinds of errors she missed before. Just as she was about to start proofreading, the papers were snatched from her hands.

She almost jumped out of her skin for the second time that day. A little squeak escaped from her, and then familiar, cocky laughter entered the air around her.

Maggie turned and saw that Dolph had managed to sneak up on her. He held her work in his hands, going over it with a growing grin on his face. He didn't look at her as he said, "Damn, you're skittish."

"I...ah...wouldn't be if...well, you weren't such a...uh..."

"I'm waiting," he drawled.

"Shut up."

This caused him to chuckle more, and Maggie felt as if she would actually murder him. "Can...you give me my papers back?" She reached up, as if to take them from his hands. Her fingers grazed his forearm before he jerked his hands away, out of her reach.

"Nah...I'm rather liking this article of Miz-worship," he said, amused.

She flushed. "It's my job..."

"Well, if you're this glowing about Miz, I can't wait to see what you're gonna write about me."

"...why would I write anything bad about anyone?"

Dolph looked at her finally, his eyes quizzical in his face. He didn't say anything, only slowly handed her the papers back. She took them, and he continued to look at her as if never seeing her before, before a sound from the distance caused him to look up and off towards the back. It sounded like footsteps, and Maggie supposed it was his partner for his practice session. "Why are you here, anyway?" he asked, still pointedly not looking at her.

Maggie related to him her current situation, and he then cast his eyes down at her, smiling.

"Well, then, I guess I'll have to give you a show," he said before hefting himself into the ring.

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><p><em><strong>End Chapter Four.<strong>_


	5. Ring Rat Lawyer

_**Disclaimer: **__I only own my OC(s)!_

_Taking a little five minute break out of studying to post this. This is...kind of a dorky chapter. Just a fun little chapter that I just really wanted to write. It's kind of goofy, but it was so fun to write so I honestly don't care, lol. Anyway, thanks to __**boston246**__, __**matt-hardy-lover-101**__, and __**Calidiva **__for reviewing the last chapter. Your reviews mean so much, I can't even express. I really appreciate everyone following this story and all. Thanks so much for everything!_

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><p><strong>Twelfth Wonder<br>****Chapter Five: Ring Rat Lawyer**

* * *

><p>As the blonde show off hurled himself into the ring, Maggie found herself slightly anxious.<p>

She wasn't sure why, really. The whole thing made no sense at all, for her to be anxious over the fact that Dolph Ziggler was in the ring. Or, maybe it did, since she was more than aware that people got hurt on a daily basis in this business. Sometimes they were minor injuries and others they were the things that required surgery and yet other times it was much worse than both of the former situations...

A delicate shudder passed over Maggie's thin frame.

Dolph was in the center of the ring, looking cocky and confident. He didn't do any of his theatrics that were commonplace during one of his matches, and for that, Maggie was slightly curious. She figured in the end it probably chalked up to the fact that, well, no one was here other than Maggie herself. And maybe a few other people that just wanted to watch.

The blonde turned his head in her direction and gave her a wink as his opponent - Kofi Kingston - slid into the ring. Maggie desperately tried to fight off the blush she knew was coming, but to no avail. Her cheeks heated up like she had been sunburned, and she found herself wringing her hands again.

_Stupid, _she told herself. _Why do you have to be so stupid?_

Because, really, that was the only explanation for anything.

Maggie tilted her head slightly as Dolph and Kofi started to talk to one another. Their voices were hushed. Kofi laughed at something Dolph said, and then Dolph ran a hand over his hair. This whole thing was puzzling. Unless, they did this at the start of all their practice matches. Maggie's fingers tapped on her messenger bag, feeling more self conscious than ever.

"Hey," a voice said from beside her.

She jumped. Again. This was starting to get old.

Maggie turned to get a better look at this person, and she gave a friendly smile when she saw who it was. "Oh! Ah, um, hello."

Heath Slater stared back, a smug grin on his face. His thick Southern accent rang out as he spoke, "What's your name?"

"Uh." She blinked. "Maggie."

"Nice to meet you," he drawled. "I'm Heath."

"Erm..." she trailed off, figuring it probably wouldn't be best to embarrass herself by saying, _I already knew that_, she resorted to saying something completely neutral. "Hi, Heath."

"Mind if I join you?" he asked, giving her a grin.

"Uh...um...okay..."

Heath sat rather unceremoniously on the floor near the legs of the chair. Maggie felt her anxiety rise. This was wholly uncomfortable, for some reason. His shoulder was pressing against her knee, and she couldn't move out of concern of offending him.

"So, you some kind of lawyer or something?" he asked, eyeing her messenger bag and stack of papers.

Maggie let out a nervous little laugh. "No...I, ah, I'm not." _Like I could ever argue a point in a courtroom of people. I can hardly get a sentence out without having major awkward problems._

"You got a suitcase, there," he jabbed her messenger bag with a thumb. Maggie winced as if he had hit flesh.

"It's just a bag...not a suitcase...uh...yeah."

"You a rat?" he asked.

"Uh..." she stumbled over her words, wondering what in the world he was talking about, and then cocked her head to the side like a lost puppy. "What?"

Heath gave her a grin. "Ring rat."

Maggie squeaked and gave a little leap. "Where?"

Heath's laughter turned booming. "Got a dumb one here!" He slapped Maggie's thigh, having no concept of personal space whatsoever. He pointed to the ring, where Dolph and Kofi were currently going over some kind of acrobatic-looking maneuver. Dolph saw her looking and ran a hand along his hair before grinning and flicking his fingers in her direction. Maggie's face blazed.

"You're Dolph's, huh? Figures. He'll bang anything with a pulse. Not Kofi, though, he's a gentleman - "

"I don't even know what you're talking about!" Maggie burst out, standing up abruptly and spilling her papers all over the floor. If her face was red before, now it was something akin to lava erupting from a volcano.

The two performers in the ring stopped, hearing Maggie's outburst and figuring out immediately that something was wrong. But before either of them could intervene, Kelly did it for them.

"Heath!" the familiar voice sounded from behind The One Man Band. "What are you doing?"

Heath scrambled up, clearly underneath the spell of Kelly Kelly like most men were. He gave her a sleazy grin, very different from the one he had fixated on Maggie just a while ago. "Nothing at all, darlin'. Don't you worry your pretty little head over it."

"Ew," Kelly said, lip curling in distaste. She held two bottled waters in her hands and tossed one to Maggie. "I got you one anyway. Hope you don't mind."

The bottle fumbled around in Maggie's grasp before she got a good hold on it. "Um...thanks. I'll pay you back."

"Don't worry about it." Kelly gave her a smile and then turned to Heath. "What were you doing?"

"Just wondering what this girl was doing here," he explained, shrugging his shoulders. "Never seen her before."

"She's a journalist," another voice came from behind her. Maggie turned around and saw that Dolph was standing very close to her. She could practically feel the heat from his earlier exertion radiate off his skin. "Doing interviews for ESPN."

Heath gave her a look that Maggie couldn't really decipher, and then said, "Well, the big star is right here! Let's get to it!"

Maggie blinked cluelessly. Kofi, Dolph, and Kelly burst into laughter.

Dolph stepped forward, casually slinging an arm around Heath's shoulders. "Nah," he said. "The only thing you need to 'get to' is your hotel room."

Heath shrugged Dolph's arm off his shoulders and gave everyone a glare. Dolph just smirked at him and watched as Heath rolled his neck from side to side. He gave Kelly a lewd look before marching off, ruffled and shown up by The Show Off.

Maggie gaped as she watched him walk away. After a while, chatting filled the air, and she didn't really know what to think of it. She couldn't catch particular words. They all slipped like water through her ears. The whole situation had stunned her, made her even more unsure of herself than she was before. If she didn't even _look _like a journalist, then -

"What did he say to you?" Dolph's voice broke through her paranoia.

She started to wring her hands.

"You can tell me," he reassured.

_Now that's weird, _she thought, doing her best to keep eye contact with him without looking like a gaping fish.

Sighing, Maggie said, "He...ah...said I looked like...a lawyer. And...uh...there were ring...uh...rats."

Dolph looked torn between wanting to laugh and wanting to scream at her to talk faster.

Kelly was at Maggie's side then, as soon as the phrase 'ring rat' came out of her mouth. "Did he call you a _ring rat_?"

"Well...I...honestly don't know what that means...but then he called Kofi a...uh...gentleman...and basically said Dolph was...uh..." she tried to spit it out, but the very thought of what Heath had said about Dolph made Maggie's pulse bound. "Uh...he called Dolph..."

"Oh, for the love of _Hogan_, spit it out!" Dolph pressed his forehead into his hands.

"A ho."

Silence came over the arena.

"What?"

"He...called...you...basically - what he said was...you..."

"A ho," Dolph said, blinking. "A _ho_."

"He said you'd...ah...and I quote, 'Bang anything with a pulse,'" she said, flushing to the roots of her hair. She could've sworn that even her chest was as red as a tomato.

"That's not true!" Dolph protested. "I wouldn't bang Kelly!"

"_Hey_!" Kelly exclaimed, insulted.

"What's going on here?" the thick accent of Wade Barrett called out. Confidently, he was making his way down to the ring, followed by Miz, Eve, and Rosa.

"Maggie and Dolph are both hos," Kelly said matter-of-factly.

"Well _that_ didn't take long at all," Miz replied.

Maggie smashed her messenger bag against her face.

Dolph came up and pressed a hand against her shoulder. Maggie tensed and then looked up at him, her face redder than she'd ever felt it and her eyes wide in their sockets.

"Don't worry. You could do a lot worse." He smirked.

Maggie sank down into the chair and pressed her hands to her face. She let out a groan. "I don't even know what _ring rat _means...I...thought there were...rodents...everywhere."

Dolph laughed a bit, his face immediately becoming something akin to sympathetic. Either that or Maggie was really losing her mind. The day Dolph started to look sympathetic was the day she was able to ask out Brad Pitt. Successfully.

And, let's face it, that wasn't happening.

He leaned down to her ear, his breath tickling the loose strands of hair that fluttered over the shell, and said, "To be a ring rat means you sleep around with wrestlers."

As Dolph pulled away with a smirk, Maggie started to babble incoherently.

"Well, someone's finally short-circuited her," Wade commented with a smirk.

With embarrassment crushing her, Maggie buried her face in her lap and wished that there really were rats underneath the ring.

At this point, they'd be a welcome occurence.

* * *

><p><em><strong>End Chapter Five.<strong>_


	6. The Crowd Speaks

_**Disclaimer: **__I don't own anything except my OC(s), of course._

_Thank you so much for the reviews for the previous chapter! It has been a very long time since I've written anything for this fic, but hopefully I can get back in the groove. This chapter itself is kind of filler, I suppose, but it does build on some things before we get to the real meat of the story in the next chapter. I guess before I start this, I gotta say that since everything has changed so much since I started this fic, I'm just gonna be all crazy with the storylines in this and make things up from where I established them when I first posted this fic. If that makes sense. Let's just say, this is faaar from canon events. So, here is the latest chapter of this fic of mine. I really hope that y'all enjoy this! Thanks so much for reading! _

* * *

><p><strong>Twelfth Wonder<strong>  
><strong>Chapter Six: The Crowd Speaks<strong>

* * *

><p>Maggie shifted from foot to foot as she tried to walk to her designated seat.<p>

The day had been rather uneventful - all of the inappropriate skank-jokes aside - after she and the rest of the Superstars and Divas left the arena midday. She had returned to her hotel room and started to write more on her piece, filling in the areas that she could and leaving space to type in descriptions from the night's show.

Jared had called as soon as she got back, reminding her that they needed her piece _urgently_ so they could get it out in the January issue, and Maggie had assured him she would have it done by tomorrow, since that was when her appointment with the Miz was. She tried not to think of what would happen if he bailed on her. It really wasn't the most pleasant of things to think about, at the time.

It wasn't the most pleasant thing to think about at this particular time, either.

She adjusted the strap of her messenger bag as she maneuvered her way around the other people in the arena. Her notebook, filled with random notes about Miz and other Superstars - research she had hastily done before leaving her room that evening - was tucked away neatly in the aforementioned bag.

People were _everywhere_. Of course, this was to be expected.

Her mind was also everywhere, unable to grasp onto one single subject. The people were loud, her feet were tired, there was something gross on the bottom of her shoe, her claustrophobia was kicking in, the article was to be done by tomorrow, Heath had mistaken her for a slutbag -

_Oh_, she was going to be _sick_.

Maggie had been offered a place backstage, but she had respectfully declined - at least this once. She had explained she had never been to a live WWE show and kind of wanted to see the whole thing from the perspective of the audience. The backstage worker had smiled at her - a genuine smile, one she had not expected from him - and told her to enjoy the show, but not to get too carried away.

She had smiled nervously at him and said, "I'm not going to make any promises."

She finally found her seat, ringside. Her heart was beating quickly in her chest, though she was uncertain why. She attributed that to the excitement of the moment, the fact that she was so close to the Superstars and Divas doing what they loved.

Maggie looked around, seeing that the seats were full of fans. Some held signs, others just wore shirts, others were decked out in full costume gear. She saw some guy dressed like Macho Man Randy Savage and grinned so big that it hurt her cheeks.

Though the atmosphere was fun, she wondered how she was going to get any writing done at all in the chaos.

Fact was, she wouldn't.

Maggie was surprisingly okay with that. She figured she could take what she remembered from the show and write it in later, if her memory held. Which she hoped it would, of course. She figured she would remember everything of this night, considering how special it was.

She watched as the commentators made their way to the announce table, people cheered and jeered for them as they sat down and started to talk, getting the audience ramped up for what was to come.

Minutes seemed to pass. Maggie wondered what exactly the show tonight was going to consist of.

But then _Cult of Personality_ hit, and she pretty much lost interest in whatever she was thinking before.

* * *

><p>The night did not disappoint. The matches were exciting, the promos were effective, and Maggie lost herself. She forgot for a moment just what she was there for, focusing only on the events occurring around her.<p>

The Miz had come to the ring to face Kofi Kingston. She had tried to commit that particular match to memory, since she had to write the intro piece of her article using it. The Miz was all confidence, as per usual, playing his character to a T. He got various reactions from the crowds - jeers, mostly, but Maggie knew that a negative reaction was better than no reaction at all. The match went on for a good while, ending with a Skull Crushing Finale and the sound of Miz's entrance music.

She tried to figure out just who she was looking for, just who she was waiting to make his entrance. She had seen all her favorites so far, barring the ones who had retired already, but there was one thing that she just couldn't put her finger on.

That is, until _he _made his entrance.

Dolph Ziggler's music flooded the arena, and The Show Off himself was there, Vickie at his side. The boos they received deafened the arena, and as Dolph did his usual entrance theatrics, Maggie felt herself begin to smile despite herself and she started clapping, just as he shouted, _"Hooow damn good am I?"_

Dolph ran his hands along his hair and flicked his hands, like he usually did. Vickie fanned herself while looking upon him with that Cougar Gaze of hers. Maggie smiled. Though there was no possible way he could see her from his position - or so she thought - she was still embarrassed by the flush that coated her cheeks in response to his entrance. That was certainly something she had to get under control. Especially since she did it for almost every Superstar as they made their way down the ramp.

But it seemed especially of concern when Dolph elicited that particular reaction.

Dolph's opponent made his entrance next.

John Cena was something special, Maggie knew. The reaction to his music when it hit was something she hadn't experienced. He was the most loved and the most hated man in the company all at the same time. Polarizing. To be honest, she was excited about talking about that aspect of his character in her interview. When she got to him. But now, he was running down the ramp, as per usual, and sliding into the ring. Catering to the fans. Hat and shirt were tossed to the audience, near two kids who latched onto them as if they were the last thing on earth. It made Maggie smile.

The match began without further ado.

Dolph was just as good in an official match as he was during practice. Every time Cena hit him, Dolph sold it as if it were the most painful thing in the world. Not to discredit Cena at all. The two of them worked brilliantly together, exchanging blow after blow. It was almost like a sort of dance. Maggie was just impressed that the main event was so good. Really, she shouldn't have been, considering the talent level of the two individuals involved.

The match ended after a grueling twenty minutes, Cena pinning Dolph after some surprising interference from tag team partner Jack Swagger, Vickie screaming in dismay in the background. The sound of the commentators' shock was palpable as Jack walked away, raising his hands in victory, while Dolph stared on in disbelief. Cena seemed just as put out.

That was when the chants started.

_"Zigg-ler! Zigg-ler! Zigg-ler!"_

Dolph looked at the crowd and, despite everything that told her that rationally it could not be possible, for the briefest of moments Maggie thought he met her gaze, and held it.

All she could do was smile, and join in chanting Dolph Ziggler's name.

* * *

><p><em><strong>End Chapter Six.<strong>_


End file.
